Assembly device



' 1964 K. A. WROBLEWSKI 3,151,383

ASSEMBLY DEVICE Filed Oct. 1, 1962 Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. A Az li/wazfwsz/ A rrdiA zr.

Oct. 6, 1964 K. A. WROBLEWSK! 3,151,388

ASSEMBLY DEVICE Filed Oct. 1, 1962 5 Sheets-Shee; 3

IN VEN TOR. K AKL 4. lWOfiZi/VJK/ Oct. 6, 1964 K. A. WROBLEWSKE ASSEMBLY DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 001:. l, 1962 Oct. 6, 1964 K. A. WROBLEWSKI 3,151,338

ASSEMBLY DEVICE Filed Oct. 1, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l NVEN TOR 41a 4. l Vwaziww United States Patent 3,151,388 ASSEMBLY DEVICE Karl A. Wroblewslri, Gillette, NJ, assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 227,346 Claims. (Cl. 29-293) This invention relates to devices particularly useful in the assembly of electrode assemblies of electron tubes.

Certain tube sub-assemblies comprise spaced insulating plates, usually of mica, and electrodes including a cathode sleeve, an anode, and in some cases, one or more grids. The electrodes are mounted between the insulating plates and usually fixed thereto by end portions of the electrodes snugly extending through apertures provided in the spacer plates. Such an electrode assembly may include one or more cages, each cage comprising the electrodes of an operable electron discharge device, several cages being combined within a single electron tube for reasons of economy and compactness of size. Although the several cages may be separate and distinct from one another, the several electrodes of each of the cages are mounted between spacer plates which are common to all the cages.

In the assembly of an electrode assembly, the lower end portions of each of the electrodes is inserted through the apertures in one of the spacer plates, the electrodes in each cage being arranged in more or less concentric relation with one another. A jig may be used on which the electrodes are supported. Generally, however, only the lower end portions of the electrodes engage and are held place by the jig. The upper free end portions of the electrodes, while being maintained in upright and generally correct relative orientation by the jig, are not maintained in accurate position with respect to one another. Therefore, in order to facilitate placement of the other spacer over the electrode free end portions, locating or gathering tools are used for engaging the free end portions of the electrodes to dispose these portions in desired accurate position for receipt by the apertures in the spacer to be loaded.

For reasons which will become clear hereinafter, a shortcoming of the prior art gathering tools is that they are used only with single cage tubes or with multiple cage tubes wherein the cages are disposed substantially parallel to one another and wherein there is a special size relationship among the several electrode end portions. In some instances, for reasons of economy of space and other factors affecting the electrical performance of the electron tube, the cages are disposed in non-parallel relationships and electrodes having relative end portion sizes other than the special relative sizes required by the prior art gathering tools are used. In such cases it has not been known how to provide simple, hand-operated gathering tools for positioning the electrodes. The assembly of such electrode assemblies has been a tedious, time-com suming operation requiring highly skilled operators. Further, although machine operated gathering tools have been developed for this purpose, such devices have been complicated and expensive.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved device for accurately positioning the electrodes of electron tube electrode assemblies for receipt thereon of an insulating spacer.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a new and inexpensive electrode gathering device, particularly useful as a hand operated device, and having special utility for positioning the electrode end portions of electrode assemblies which do not lend themselves to assembly using prior art simple gathering tools.

One particular object of this invention is to provide a hand-operated electrode gathering and positioning device for positioning the electrode end portions of electrode assemblies having non-parallel cages.

For achieving these objects according to this invention an electrode gathering tool is provided comprising a pair of oppositely disposed supports movable towards one another and biased in spaced apart relation. Electrode engaging and locating means comprise a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements mounted on one of the supports and extending towards the other support, the combing elements being movable towards one another and biased in spaced apart relation. Mounted on the other of the supports opposite the combing elements is a camming means adapted to engage the ends of the combing elements for closing them when the two supports are brought together. As will be described hereinafter, upon closing of the combing elements, the elements coact to engage and accurately position the electrodes of a first cage.

If the second cage of the electrode assembly is substantially parallel to the first cage, a second pair of combing elements and camming means similar to the first electrode engaging and locating means described may be provided mounted on the supports and adjacent the first locating means.

If the second cage of the electrode assembly is subs'tantially non-parallel to the first cage thereof, second electrode engaging and locating means may be provided which comprise a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements mounted one each on each of the supports. When the supports are brought together the second pair of combing elements are closed in a direction transverse to the direction of closing of the first pair of combing elements. In this manner the free end portions of the electrodes of the non-parallel cages may be simultaneously positioned.

As will be described hereinafter, advantages of the device described are that it is simple and inexpensive to fabricate, that, if to be manually operated, it may be held and operated in one hand of an operator, and that it may be used with cage assemblies which hitherto were incapable of being assembled with the aid of simple, hand-operated gathering tools.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a dual cage electrode assembly, the upper spacer plate not yet being loaded onto the electrode upper ends;

7 FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a prior art gathering tool positioned adjacent the electrode ends of an electrode assembly having parallel cages;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, the gathering tool being closed;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a gathering tool according to this invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing the end of the gathering tool shown in FIG. 4 positioned adjacent the electrode ends of an electrode assembly having parallel cages;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, the gathering tool being closed;

' FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 5 and 6, re-

spectively, but showing a modification of the gathering tool having utility in the assembly of electrode assemblies having non-parallel cages; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing a still further modification of the gathering tool.

FIG. 1 illustrates one type of dual cage electrode assembly which may be assembled with a gathering tool embodying this invention. The electrode assembly 12 comprises two cages 14 and 16 each comprising a plurality of electrodes assembled and maintained in spaced apart relation by a lower spacer plate 18, usually of mica. Cage 14 comprises a tubular cathode 20 having its lower end inserted through an aperture in lower spacer 18, a

grid, 22 having two side rods 23 inserted through apertures in the lower spacer, and a tubular anode 25 having extending ears 26 inserted through lower spacer 13 and bent over against-the spacer plate to secure the anode 25 to the spacer 18. Cage 16 likewise contains a tubular cathode 28, a grid 30 having side rods 31, and an anode 33 having extending ears 34, the lower ends of the electrodes also being'inserted through apertures of the lower spacer 18. It is necessary to thread all the upper ends of electrodes of the two cages 14 and 16 through corresponding apertures in an upper spacer plate 36. To facilitate this threading operation, it is desirable to use an electrode gathering device for gathering and positioning the electrodes in accurate spaced relation with respect to one another.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 is shown an electron tube assembly 38comprising two parallel cages 40 and 42. and a prior art electrode gathering tool 44 for engaging and positioning the upper ends of the cage electrodes. The electrode gathering tool 44 comprises a pair of combing elements 46 and 47 each provided with slots 55 having electrode engaging and locating surfaces 57, 58 and 59. Although not shown, the combing elements may be mounted on a pair of oppositely disposed supporting arms movable towards one another. Thus, as the combing elements are brought together inthe direction indicated by arrows in FIG. 2 and into closed and overlapping relation as shown in FIG. 3, the cathode engaging surfaces 57 of slots 55 pass by the anode ears 62 and grid side rods 63 and engage and position cathodes 64. Likewise, the grid side rod engaging surfaces 58 pass by anode cars 62 and engage and position side rods 63. The anode gathering surfaces 59engage and position the anode ears 62.

. Such prior art electrode gathering tools cannot be used for'anelectrode assembly 67 shown in FIG. 5, for example, wherein the side rods 68 have a diameter greater than the width of cathodes 69 and the anode ears70 have a width greater than thediamcter of grid side rods 68 and the width of cathodes 69. That is, by providing slots 55 (FIGS. 2 and 3) of suflicient size to permit the cathode and grid gathering surfaces 57 and 58, respectively, of the combing elements 46 and 47 to pass by the anode ears 70 (FIG. no gathering surfaces could be provided for engaging and positioning the grid side rods 68 or the cathodes 69.

Multiple-part and split combing elements having diagonal movements permitting avoidance of obstructing electrode end portions such as the large anode cars 70 have been developed. Such multi-part and split combing elements, however, require expensive and complicated actuating means. Thus, for tubes of the type shown in FIG. 5 which are not manufactured in sufiicient number to warrant the large capital expenditure to provide such combing elements, the electrode assemblies thereof are assembled entirely by hand and unaided by any electrode gathering tools.

In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 is shown a device 74 embodying this invention, for gathering and positioning the electrode ends of an electrode assembly having electrode end portion size relationships which prevent use of simple and hand-operated prior art electrode gathering tools. The electrode gathering device 74 (FIG. 4) comprises a pair of oppositely disposed support arms 76 and 77 secured between a pair of spaced apart plates 79. Support arm 76 is rigidly secured between plates 79 and support arm 77'is pivotally mounted therebetween by means of pin 89. A compression spring 82 is provided between plates 79and attached to block 84 for biasing support arm 77 to the open position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Space is provided between plates 79 permitting movement of support arm 77 towards support arm 76 as shown in FIG. 6. The size of plates 79 1s such that they may conveniently fit in the hand of an operator using the device.

Mounted-adjacent the free ends of support arms 76 and 77 are electrode gathering means 86 and 88. Each gathering means comprises a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements 91! and 91 pivotally mounted by means of pins 92 on support arm 76. Springs 94 are provided to bias the combing elements and 91 in open position. Mounted opposite the combing elements 90 and 91 and on support arm 77 are camrning elements 96 having inwardly tapering camming surfaces 97. When support arm 77 is moved towards support arm 76, the pointed ends 99 of combing elements 90 and 91 engage the camming surfaces 97 causing closure of the combing elements 99 and 91.

In the use of the device 74, an operator positions the device adjacent the free ends ofthe electrodes of an electrode assembly 67 to be positioned, as shown in FIG. 5. The combing elements 90 and 91 are biased in open position thereby permitting the combing elements 90 and 91 to be positioned adjacent the electrode ends to be positioned regardless of the relative size of the electrode ends. Upon movement of support arm 77 towards support 76 and engagement of pointed ends 99 with the caming elements 96, the combing elements 90 and 91 are closed about the electrode ends thereby properly positioning them, as shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter the upper spacer is placed on the electrode ends extending upwardly beyond the combing elements 96 and 91 and the device 74 is opened to remove it from the completed cage assembly.

A further advantage of the device 74 described is that it may be held in one hand of an operator thereby leaving the other hand free to position the top spacer onto the cage assembly.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 is'shown a modification of the gathering tool 74. The gathering tool 162 of FIGS. 7 and 8 has utility in assembling electrode assemblies similar to the electrode assembly 12 shown in FIG. 1 having nonparallel cages-14 and 16.

Transversely closing combing elements are provided in the modification shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Gathering means 164 for locating electrodes of cage 14 are similar to gathering means 86 and 88 described in connection with FIG. 5, comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements 106 and 197 pivotally mounted on support arm and a carnrning element 112 mounted on support arm 114. Combing elements 196 and 107 extend outwardly from support arm 110 and are closable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof.

In use, device 102 is disposed (FIG. 7) to position the combing elements 106 and 107 adjacent the upper electrode end portions of cage 14 and substantially parallel to the direction of cage 14. The direction of a cage is considered, for the purpose of this description, as the direction of a line extending through most or all of the electrode end portions of the cage.

The gathering means 116 for cage 16 comprises a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements 113 and 119 mounted on support arms 110 and 1114 respectively. In use, combing elements 118 and 119 are disposed parallel to and adjacent the upper electrode end portions of cage 16. When support arms 110 and 114 are brought together, combing elements 118 and 119 close (FIG. 8) in the direction of closing of support arms 110 and 114 and transversely to the direction of closing of combing elements 911 and 91.

In this manner the electrode end portions of the electrodes of transversely oriented cages may be simultaneously gathered and positioned by transversely closing pairs of combing elements.

Further, it is clear that non-parallel cages disposed with respect to one another at angles other than the right angle of the cages 14 and 16 of cage assembly 12 shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8 may also be assembled with the aid of gathering devices. Thus, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 for an electrode assembly 122 having non-parallel cages 124 and 126, the gathering means 128 and 130 of the device 132 are disposed at a suitable angle with re- 13 spect to one another and to support arms 134 and 136 to engage and position the electrode ends of the cages 124 and 126.

Further still, it is clear that the gathering tool devices disclosed herein may readily be adapted for use with electrode assemblies having more than two cages.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for positioning the end portions of electrodes of multi-cage electron tubes comprising a pair of oppositely disposed supports movable towards one another, a first electrode end portion engaging and positioning means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements pivotally mounted on one of said supports and extending towards the other of said supports, and camming means mounted on said other support opposite said combing elements and being adapted to engage and close said combing elements when said supports are moved together, and a second electrode end portion engaging and positioning means, said second positioning means being mounted on said supports adjacent said first positioning means, said second positioning means comprising a pair or" oppositely disposed combing elements mounted one each on each of said supports and extending towards one another and being closed when said supports are moved together.

2. A device for engaging and positioning the end portions of electrodes of multi-cage electron tubes comprising a pair of oppositely disposed supports movable towards one another and biased in spaced apart relation, a first electrode end portion engaging and positioning means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements pivotally mounted on one of said supports and extending towards the other of said supports, said combing elements being biased in spaced apart relation, and camming means mounted on said other support opposite said combing elements and being adapted to engage and close said combing elements when said supports are moved together, and a second electrode end portion engaging and positioning means, said second positioning means being mounted on said supports adjacent said first positioning means, said second positioning means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements mounted one each on each of said supports and extending towards one another and being closed when said supports are moved together.

3. A device for engaging and positioning the end portions of electrodes of a multi-cage electrode assembly, at least two or" said cages of said assembly being disposed at some angle with respect to each other, said device comprising a pair of oppositely disposed supports movable towards one another, a first electrode end portion positioning means comprisin a pair or" oppositely disposed combing elements pivotally mounted on one of said supports and extending towards the other of said supports, said combing elements being movable towards one another, a camming means mounted on the other of said supports and disposed opposite said combing elements and being adapted to engage and close said combing elements in a first direction when said supports are moved together, and a second electrode end portion positioning means, said second positioning means being disposed adjacent said first electrode positioning means and comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements mounted one each on each of said supports and extending towards one another, said latter combing elements closing in a second direction disposed with respect to said first direction at an angle equal to said angle between said two cages when said supports are moved together.

4. A device for engaging and positioning the end portions of electrodes of a multi-cage electrode assembly, at least two of said cages of said assembly being disposed at some angle with respect to one another, said device comprising a pair of oppositely disposed supports movable towards one another and biased in spaced apart relation, a first electrode end portion positioning means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements pivotally mounted on one of said supports and extending towards the other of said supports, said combing elements being movable towards one another and being biased in spaced apart relation, a camming means mounted on the other of said supports and disposed opposite said combing elements and being adapted to engage and close said combing elements in a first direction when said supports are moved together, and a second electrode end portion positioning means, said second positioning means being disposed adjacent said first electrode positioning means and comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements mounted one each on each of said supports and extending towards one another, said latter combing elements closing in a second direction disposed with respect to said first direction at an angle equal to said angle between said two cages when said supports are moved together.

5. A device for engaging and positioning the end portions of electrodes of a dual cage electrode assembly, the cages of said assembly being substantially perpendicular to one another, said device comprising a pair of oppositely disposed supports movable towards one another and biased in spaced apart relation, a first electrode end portion engaging means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements pivotally mounted on one of said supports and extending towards the other of said supports, said combing elements being movable towards one another in a direction substantially parallel to said one support and being biased in spaced apart relation, a camming means mounted on the other of said supports and disposed opposite said combing elements and being adapted to engage and closed said combing elements when said supports are moved together, and a second electrode end portion positioning means, said second positioning means being disposed adjacent said first electrode positioning means and comprising a pair of oppositely disposed combing elements mounted one each on each of said supports and extending towards one another, said latter combing elements being disposed on said supports to close in a direction substantially perpendicular to said supports when said supports are moved together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 922,437 Marshall May 18, 1909 2,349,956 Gliss et al May 30, 1944 2,643,440 Flaws et al June 30, 1953 2,644,998 Klinkert et a1. July 14, 1953 

1. A DEVICE FOR POSITIONING THE END PORTIONS OF ELECTRODES OF MULTI-CAGE ELECTRON TUBES COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SUPPORTS MOVABLE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER, A FIRST ELECTRODE END PORTION ENGAGING AND POSITIONING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED COMBING ELEMENTS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS AND EXTENDING TOWARDS THE OTHER OF SAID SUPPORTS, AND CAMMING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER SUPPORT OPPOSITE SAID COMBING ELEMENTS AND BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND CLOSE SAID COMBING ELEMENTS WHEN SAID SUPPORTS ARE MOVED TOGETHER, AND A SECOND ELECTRODE END PORTION ENGAGING AND POSITIONING MEANS, SAID SECOND POSITIONING MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTS ADJAENT SAID FIRST POSITIONING MEANS, SAID SECOND POSITONING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED COMBING ELEMENTS MOUNTED ONE EACH ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS AND EXTENDING TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND BEING CLOSED WHEN SAID SUPPORTS ARE MOVED TOGETHER. 